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7.17.2007

peasant blouse

Something to know: this tutorial has been modified to improve the shape of the garment and the clarity of instructions. I will continue to update this tute as new possibilites present themselves. If you are revisiting this post, feel free to take or leave any of the changes as you see fit. Please leave a comment if you have a question (or something nice to say - I like that too).

These measurements used here are general guidelines - I suggest you play with the measurements yourself to see what suits the wearee best. These take less than an hour to make, so it isn't very time consuming to make another in order to tweak your pattern. Do not use your best material first time out. And remember, use lightweight fabric (woven or knit) for the best drape.

The measurements below refer to the total unfolded size - fold fabric in half when cutting pattern.

For children, the general rule is to add one inch to the bodice width (at the top of the pattern piece if it is to be A-line) and two inches to the bodice length for every size increase. The arm width should be increased by half an inch for every size increase (the length being dependent upon personal taste more so than formula).

Size 2 - 19.5" chest

Bodice (width of neckline by length) 14" x 14"

Arms (width by length) 12" x 7"

Size 3 - 20" chest

Bodice (w x l) 15" x 16"

Arms (w x l) 12.5" x 8"

Size 4 - 21.5" chest

Bodice (w x l) 16" x 18"

Arms (w x l) 13" x 10"

Also, cut one strip of elastic to the chest measurement minus 2" (or fit and adjust). Cut two more strips at the arm measurement plus 2.5" (this includes a 1/2" or so you need to double over tape to sew closed).

For adults, well, I'm not sure because I have never made one for a big people. But I will soon and will update when I have a formula to share.

Step 2: shape bodice and arm blocks

Here are the general shapes of the cut (in a A-line shape; a straight shape is fine too and the following photos accompaning were done using a straight bodice.) The total area (blue and white sections) of the pieces above represent the folded bodice and arm pieces. The blue section is the shape of garment you want - cut away the portion represented by the white area.

Fold bodice and arm pieces in half. The armhole cut is the same size for all pieces so I suggest stacking up the folded pieces to cut. Shape the bodice and armhole pieces as indicated by the blue and white pattern guideline above. Make note that the top of the armhole should slightly slope in towards the center of the bodice (the photos below do not represent that slope very well).

For a size 2, the armhole cut is about 5" x 2", with a angled cut starting at about 4" mark. If you go for an approximate shape you should be fine. For every additional size increase from a size 2, increase the cut by 1/2" (or find a good fitting existing garment and use that armhole as a guide).
Step 3: sew together
Put one large piece and one sleeve piece together at the arm hole and stitch along cut. Stitch other sleeve on the same way. Stitch sleeves on to the other large piece. Stitch side seams all the way from sleeve end to bottom.

Fold under top (and press ) to make a casing for your elastic. Stitch almost all the way around, leaving a small opening to feed your elastic through: Overlap ends of elastic together and sew together so it will lay flat. Adjust elastic in casing and then finish sewing casing closed.
Do the same for the sleeves.
(btw, I used 1/2" elastic for this, because it was all I had at the time, and it was way too big and stiff. Stick to 1/4")
Fold under bottom and hem.
Finished!

Modification suggestions:
- add a belt
- use shirring instead of elastic in casing, like so:- shirr the chest and back areas
- move your casing in 1/4" to make a ruffled edge along neck and sleeves- extend A-line into a dress
- add some small ties to the side seams to pull behind back and tie
***************************************************

You've seen the shirts and now you can make your own pattern...

OR

You can buy the pattern and have it delivered to your email, all ready to go. Visit my shop to see the Oh Suzanna Smock for an easy to use pattern in girls' sizes 2-7, complete with clear instructions and plenty of illustrations.

Thank you for posting these directions....I made these all the time in high school, but I could not remember how, and, who wants to go out and purchase a pattern for something so simple. I can now go and make all of the neighbor girls their new blouses! Your child is darling!! DvV

I don't know where to begin...I love this...actually I love everything you make your daughter..including the fuzzy blue coat. After having four boys I finally got my girl and she is just a little smaller than yours, so it works out perfectly!! I've never sewn before but I made this top and then I made it longer for a cute dress. Next I'm making it in black for a gothic princess halloween costume..thanks so much for your tutes!!

anon:I have no idea about the adult top, sorry, but one thing about these tops is that they are quick and easy to experiment with. I've never made one in an adult size because, frankly, it would be incredibly unflattering on me. I would go for the pattern measurements, using a less expensive material, and then tweak to fit your shape for your next top.

And we Canadians are pretty versatile in our measurements, since the switch happened during my lifetime, and all of our measuring tools come with both metric and imperial. Besides, everyone here over the age of 20 still privately thinks in imperial, no matter what the government says.

Thanks for the GREAT tutorial!!! Your daughter is a doll!!!! Can you give me a general idea of what size the shirt was(or how old your daugther was when she wore it) that you made in this tutorial. Thanks so much

Love your tutes! I have a question about the sleeves though. When you say, "(you will note that one side of the the smaller rectangle is a half size of the square and the other measurement is 2" less. I point these proportions out so you can adjust accordingly)" which measurement of the bodice should I half, the width or the length? Which should I shorten by 2"? The shirt I'm making is not going to be a square. The bodice pieces will be 21" long by 30" wide. Thanks!

Thank you so much for this!!! I have made peasant dresses before but never cut the armsyces this way, just used straight lines. (pictures on my blog) I think this will give a much better fit!! A million thanks!

ok, I just finished my first peasant dress/top using this tute and I am so pleased with it. I made it a little wider for more fullness but I used your exact directions. I don't have a serger so I pinked the edges. This is for a birthday gift today and I hope she likes it. Thanks again for the tute. I'll be posting a pic on my blog of the finished product in a few days if you want to check it out.

Hi! I love this tutorial (all of your tutorials, actually!), and tried to make one for my daughter (1 yr). However, I am not terribly happy with the way it fits. Is it supposed to bunch up front and back? It makes her kind of look like a sack of potatoes, honestly. Have I made the elastic too short? Can you think of something else I may have done wrong? Please help! It looks so cute on your daughter, and on mine it turns her into the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Again, any help would be much appreciated.

sara,hmmmm. Couple of things I can think of. First, a sack is kinda what this shirt does resemble and does fit different bodies differently.

Maybe the bodice and back are simply too wide for your daughter's shape and just need a bit of an adjustment (you want ample room for the chest and belly, but if there is too much fabric I can see how it would overdone).

Also, it depends on the type of fabric used - if you used a stiff cotton, it may take a few washes before it hangs down naturally.

Before you toss or undo the shirt, try doing some shirring across the chest and back to tighten it all up. Shirring will give it some shape (less sack-like anyway).

I just found this post last night and am excited to say that with a little trial and error I made one today!!! It's so easy I can't believe it and I really have to thank you for a great tutorial!Thank you .... and I'm off to make more!!!!

Found your blog through crafster...great tutorial!! thank you!I finished this up in a few hours (newbie sewer) and it looks great! At first I thought, "no way this is going to fit, it seems HUGE" but it worked out awesome!

SD, yes, I enlarge my arm holes just slightly for every size up. To make yours the best fit, I recommend getting a existing garment out that fits well (of similar fabric type), turning it inside out and tucking the sleeve inside to get a clear view of the shape and size of the armhole.

Vegbee, Thanks, I actually did the armhole just as big as yours (I didn't make it too much larger than yours) and it worked fine, but thanks for the info going forward. I am totally making more, what an inexpensive and cute way to extend the wardrobe! Also, in response to Sara's 'sack of potatoes', mine was larger too. I put the shirt on my little one and measured where the neck elastic looked the best and cut it shorter, and that really helped 'control' it. Next time I just wont cut it as wide... How great is your tute that it is so easily customizable?

I just had to leave my thank you, too! This is the easiest peasant top pattern/tutorial I've run across yet! I'm just waiting for my iron to heat up to finish up the casings...and I love it already! I can't wait until my munchkin wakes up tomorrow to try it on her. I plan to post a pic on my blog if you want to check it out! :) Thanks again!

Oh, fantastic! I was looking around for a way to make a better peasant top, and look what I found! A whole blog full of fun tutes! I've always made peasant tops/chemises with underarms cut on the diagonal, which gives you a loathesome right-angle when you make your neck casing. This is a much better way. With not too much fullness and a ribbon tied under the bust, I think this will work up into a cute summer dress for ME! I also want to try a corset-top dress (with bust darts), and linen wrap pants, and... and... :)

I just started sewing again ( the last time being grade 7 home ec LOL )I made this shirt today and it turned out GREAT! I did not use elastic on the sleves, just the neck, and added 2 inches to the body ( 16x16) My 28 pound, 19 month old is a chubby one and this shirt fits great and has lots of growing room! Im so happy you have such clear directions. Thanks for telling us what to do!Keep it up!!

First off, I love your tutorials...you do a great job of explaining things. My question is: I am curious if you think that you could do shirring at the neck and sleeves instead of the elastic in the casing for a similar effect?

Thank you so much for this tute - and the others as well. I made my first peasant blouse tonight for my little one, after making my first shirred dress yesterday. Both came out sooo cute and I can't wait for DD to wake up to try it on :-)

Your tutorial is very clear and helpful.

I bought a couple of tops like this from Oshkosh on our vacation last year, but they don't fit anymore and now I can make my own :-)

thank you so much for this! i had been looking for a shirt with sort of a country feel to it to go with a denim skirt and a pair of cowgirl booties that i bought for my friend who is expecting at the beginning of september. i eventually got really frusterated and my mom suggested making a peasant style top. i searched everywhere before finally finding this. i bought an old pillow case that will work perfectly, and i've sketched out the pattern and made a practice shirt, good thing too- it was still a bit too big, oh well! another practice on the way! your instructions are quick and easy to follow, i just ran to the computer two or three times to double check that i was doing it right! thank you so much for sharing this!

Thanks for the great tute! I am a pretty novice sewer and am going to try my hand at making clothes for my girls for the fall/winter. I would like to make a 3/4 length or long sleeve version of this. Is is just a matter of making the sleeves longer?? Thanks!!

I DID IT! i'm so proud of myself! i used a cotton pillowcase and extended the a line and i used the frilly edges that were already around it to make sleeves and left it at the bottom too for extra frills. it is sooo adorable! i also made a little shirt and i'm going to make little pantaloons to match (it's for a newborn, and i had lots of extra fabric) and i'm going to try to make a matching one for the mommy to be, i'll let you know how that works out. i'm thinking of putting a drawstring or something under the bustline to give it some extra shape.

Thank you so much for posting this tutorial. You are a lifesaver! I am leaving in a week to go to Pakistan and I do not have any tunics that are "Islamically appropriate" all the long sleeves I own are for winter and it is hot there now, and to puchase new tunics would cost too much... I modified to make the sleves long and the tunic to come down to mid thigh..... Thank you so much for posting this instructions. It is a long time since I have sewn my clothes and I forgot how to do the arms... now I just need good pattern for pajama pants to use as shalwar and I will be all set!-Alya

I have a question about the armcyces. Well, a couple actually :) In your blue and white pic, it looks like you are supposed to cut away some neckline but in your pics, it looks like it is straight across. What am I missing. The first one I did, I cut away the neckline area but it made the area look a bit scalloped and I had to trim the points down afterwards. Also, do I line up the sleeve with the top (straight across if it supposed to be) or with the side seam when I am cutting them out for an A line shape. Thank you so much :D

Donna,sorry to confuse you on tha sahpe of the neckline. This tute has been modified as has been the pattern. The straight across pics are the photos from the original tute, and the drawing in blue is the refined shape. It is supposed to be slightly more curvy top, but the straight across works just fine and looks good still. I suggest, if you are having problems with pointy bits, to don't worry about shaping the neck, just do a straight across.

I'm not sure I understand your second question. The A line shape comes from cutting the bodice portion almost triangler. The armholes should be the same size, so they need to be lined up when cutting.

The pix are awesome - I'm a very visual learner and would be SO lost without these!I think your stuff is unreal, but it could just be that your daughter is such an awesome muse!!Does she appreciate how lucky she is to have such an awesome mama??thanks again for your whole blog.

Just another great admirer, wanting to say thank-you for sharing. This is really great, I've made two tops for my daughter and plan many more, including some gifts for Christmas.

I wanted to jump in on Donna's question:About lining the sleeves up for an A-line dress:when you line the sleeve and top up at the top of each rectangle to cut the armholes, you end up with a longer area on the body piece than the sleeve piece. So, should you line the side of the sleeve rectangle up with the slanted side of the body piece?

Does that clarify the question? I ran into this problem, so just cut the last one I made straight instead of a-line because I wasn't sure how to handle this.

Thanks for the titorial! I can't wait to try this for my little girl! I did notice a typo and thught you mght want to know. In the sentence: "For adults, well, I'm not sure because I have never made one for a big people."I think the word people should be person. Thanks again!

Need help on the elastic sleeve measurement...You say to make the sleeve elastic measurement 2.5 inches to what the sleeve measures...I'm confused. So the sleeve elastic measurement is an additional 2.5 inches????

Thanks so much for the quick reply!!! I have a shirt of my daughters, so I will measure that and then add the 2.5 inches. It all makes sense now.

I am a very new sewer...like 2 weeks new sewer, so I don't always get the directions right the first time. Thanks for your help.

Hey, I also took your advice and made the pattern out of an old paper bag. Works wonderfully!!! You are one smart lady!!

How did you become inspired to start sewing? I have been so inspired by all the wonderful blogs and figured that I could do it too. So far, I am really enjoying it. If only I could stay out of Hobby Lobby...fabric...need more fabric. :)

Thanks again!!!! Looking forward to trying some of your other tutes!!!

So, after completing 3 peasant blouses and a good start on my fourth I have a question that I need help with...

How do you zig zag or serger stitch? A little late to be asking that question. I just got a skirt out of the wash that I had made using the same straight stitch I used for the blouses and it has frayed so badly after two washes that I have to restitch the whole waistband. I'm bummed and hoping you can give me some pointers. Lots of time spent...I guess being a very beginning sewer I should have waited before whipping out a whole bunch of garments. :)

dreamingmama, a serger stitch is using a serger (overlocker) sewing machine. A zig zag stitch is just that, a zig zag that you stitch over the edge of your fabric so it does not fray. It is just one way to finish the edges to prevent the frays. You could also do a double fold on the edges, so that the raw edges are tucked in and can not be seen.

Sorry Shelly, no formula for that size yet. Though, I have just done a size 7 and the bodice pieces are about 18" across and 20" long. The sleeve pieces are about 15" across and 11" long for a short sleeve.

i will try it out.. i am really new at sewing, and am so scared i am going to mess it up.. :-( so what about a long sleeve? i am doing this for a project for my 6 year old. hoping she gets 'extra' credit for it..lol..

I was so pleased to find this tutorial. I made one of these tops in less than 1hr yesterday and it has turned out great. My niece is mad on Thomas the tank engine, so I made one of these tops and put a thomas Applique in the centre and it looks fantastic. I capped the sleeves and didnt add any elastic to them and that looks nice too.

I've made it a few times with a straight bodice. It hangs beautifully when I don't shape the neck line, but whenever I do its looks dreadful...I dont know if Im doing it wrong, or whether it just the shape of my little girl lol!

I do have a question though. I would like to make an A-line top...and then perhaps an aline dress in this style. I'm confused though as you say to make it a-line add half an inch per size to the top of the pattern, but is the top of the pattern not the neck line? I'm stumped at how much I should add and where to make it an a line top?

Sorry to confuse you. An A-line is just a flared bottom (the shirt is shaped like an A with the bottom the A).

I think the 1/2" per a size comment refers to every shape of blouse, not just the a-line. It means that every size up from the measurements I give in my examples to add 1/2 to the top of the armhole shape to give the wearee more room.

If you've done this before, just do what you are doing with the arms and do the 'A' shape of the bodice. It sounds like you've got it down already, just need some shape adjustments.

Hope that helps :)

(I think it's time for another tutorial edit - the harder I try to be clear the more confusing I am :0)

Thanks so much for sharing your information. I wanted to make a few of these for my granddaughter, and this makes it so much easier than starting from scratch with the measurements. I really appreciate your generosity.

I'm new to sewing so this may be a stupid question. Once I have cut out the bodice, should I just trace the arm hole portion on the sleeves so that the shape is exactly the same? In other words, line up my pre-measured sleeve piece within the bodice piece and then mark the cut line for the sleeves?

My name is Lisa and I absolutely adore gothic and medieval clothing. Now, believe me when I say I'm a PLUS size woman with a waist of 48" and an average of size 4X in clothing.

I love making my own skirts and recently ventured into shirts. When I image Googled "peasant top pattern", I found your Tute blog. Let me tell you that this pattern is EASILY adapted for adult sizing, even Plus sizing. Your Tute was a dream in helping me make the best piece of clothing I've confected to date! It turned out BEAUTIFULLY! Along with a pink paisley-patterned sash, it looks gorgeous with my full-length, flare-panneled medieval skirt. My mother saw it and fell in love, saying she wants one and that my aunt, her sister, will probably want one for herself when she sees it.

I want to thank you for the easy step-by-step instructions you've provided and tips that will help with future projects. (Using math and geometry, I've taught myself how to make patterns.) This pattern is definitely a keeper. I simply love it!

A belated thank you for this awesome tute. My little girl has a closet full of peasanty goodness, and I linked to the tutorial on my blog a long time ago since I got some many compliments on her little tops. Thanks again!

This is a great pattern / instructions! I've made my little girl a shirt & dress already. I opted to make the sleeves long sleeve for winter with no elastic. She's a 2T so her sleves were 13" long insted of the 7". For the dress I made it 24" long.

Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial. This pattern is great. I have made it as a shirt and a dress. I have made matching shirt/dress combo's for my daughters and love the pattern. Keep up the great sewing. No on to sew your little red riding hood cloak...

Thank you for taking the time to write such wonderful tutorials! I wanted to make a peasant dress for my daughter and found your website - it's perfect! I'm sure I'll be creating several of the things for which you've provided tutorials. Thanks again!

I Love this! I have bookmarked so many of your tutorials in the past 12 hours. LOL. this one I had some trouble with understanding how actually make myself a pattern, but once I sat down and cut my fabric squares, it made more sense. I think the only thing that would clarify it for me would be if your blue and white drawings had "example" measurements on them, so I understood what was what. I got out my calculator and started figuring. and when I decided to measure my daughter, who is a 2T, and her chest was 19.5 inches also, I had to giggle. I just followed your measurements to a T, and then held my tracing paper pattern up to her body to verify before cutting the shapes into the fabric.

Thanks so much for all the time you take.... I can't wait to try all your other tutorials! I will post pics tonight on my blog of my finished project (with OWL Applique) and link back to this! Thanks again!

oh i SO love this tutorial- ive made a billion tops for my girls with it. they come together so quickly and they look super cute with any type of bottoms!

i found a new use for them this weekend- pyjamma tops! theyre the perfect light and breezy top- i made a couple out of bed sheets and made some simple shorts to match and they look so comfy. i just left the elastic out of the arms- the kids seem to like them. :) thanks again and again for this tute.... ♥

I just love your tutes...very cool. That's how I learnt to make tops..I can't make any other kind but the peasant top. Thanks!! Was wondering tho whether you know how one best does those elastic bits half way down the arm that I have seen people do? They look so cool...Thanks...

Thank you very much!!! I just made my niece a cute summer dress for $3. I added a ruffle on the bottom and ribbon across the front which then formed ties at the back. My niece wants another one and is in the sharing mood saying I could sew one for her baby sister as well!

I am so excited to try this dress. In other patterns I've seen it as an empire type waist with a band/belt. I'm pretty sure that it is an elastic casing sewn into the dress but I can't wrap my head around how to do it. Can you help me out? I love your site!

I have been searching and searching on line. I found a site called MADE and she explains how to do it. It is not at all how I would have expected but I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes! Thanks for getting back to me. So excited to try your darling pattern on my little girl!

Thanks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13517919253368724623 for the inspiration. I don´t understand english, buttttttt I saw your pictures and I made my own pattern. Look my dress http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericositas/4096184359/ Thank´s a lot!! Érica, from Argentina

Thank-you for sharing this tutorial. I have friends who sew, but live far away. They all told me a peasant blouse was easy, but seeing the pictures and the pattern layed out made all the difference. I wear them for work, they are so cute and comfortable.

I just used your tutorial tonight to make a nightgown for my daughter's 18 inch doll (to coordinate with the nightgown I sewed for my daughter earlier today). It worked perfectly....now I'm itching to make a top for my daughter too. Thank you!

To answer an earlier question in the comments, in order to put an elastic at the waist you simply sew on 1/2 inch single fold bias tape (larger tape if you use a larger elastic) inside the dress, sewing quite close to the edges of the tape. Leave a space open to get the elastic through, just like you do when you sew a casing.

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Thanks so much! I needed something fast since I make much of my daughter's clothes because she has special needs. I thought the peasant top/dress would be perfect, but I never could get it to look right. After looking at your tute, I think I know where my old pattern "went wrong".

THis blog is truly inspirational. So many ideas that my mind is whirring..... I have three daughters and now that the summer holidays are beginning I need a lot of stuff to keep them busy. Rest assured I will be visiting this blog quite often. Thanks a ton!

Anon,I think the fabric is a Michael Miller (I'm not sure of the line or date). It was bought at Fabricland a few years ago, so it's probably not available retail now. Though, you might be able to find some on ebay. Good luck!

I really hate feeding elastic through casings, so I chose to do shirring (about 3 rows) around the neckline and some more shirring around the bottom of the sleeves. It created a puff-sleeve that is adorable and a bishop looking top. I am so glad to have found this pattern! Off to make another!

I just made one of these for my daughter (with me in mind for the next one) and I used elastic thread on my bobbin for the sleeve seams and it eliminated the need for 1/4" elastic. This is a terrific pattern that will easily make a little dress too. Thank you so much - I've been looking for this for some time and I'm thrilled to have found it!

Just wanted to say thank you for the tutorial. I have been wanting to try a peasant dress/blouse and my friends shared your site with me. It was easy and turned out really cute. I can't wait to make more!

Thank you so much for your tutorial. I've never made a peasant blouse before but you inspired me to try. I ended up making my girls some with some donated bedding from my neighbor. I did have to tweak the size since my girls are bigger but I Loved how they turned out. Thanks again for your inspiration.http://fawndear.blogspot.com/2010/05/heirloom-holiday.html

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I've been a sew-a-phobe since I failed home-ec for being unable to make a pair of elastic shorts. Then I had a baby and woowee did I want to make stuff for her. I've tackled sundresses and tie tops and even reversible skirts. This is the first thing I've ever put sleeves in and it worked like a charm. Who knows? maybe I'll even figure out shorts one of these days.

Thank you so much for sharing! I gave it a try (first sewing project since 7th grade!) for my 10 month old baby girl. I think it turned out pretty good (: it looks WAY cuter on her than any store-bought shirt does. I'll post a picture on my blog soon (as soon as I get my little model to cooperate!

I'm brand new to sewing and was able to make this blouse for my four-year-old daughter quite easily. Thanks to the forgiving style, I didn't even bother to measure anything, just eyeballed it, and it fits quite well! Thanks so much for this and all of your other tutes. Easy projects like this are really helping me learn the basics and giving me the instant gratification I require to keep me interested (I have a history of hobby abandonment).

Do you have any idea where I might find a good elastic-waist lounge pant tutorial? I have enough of the fabric I used for the blouse to sew up a pair of matching pants as well.

HOW TO DO 3/4 SLEEVES.....I whipped up a top from this FABULOUS pattern today for my daughter. THANK YOU!! With fall approaching, I wanted long sleeves. I made a fun discovery I have to share. If you like the idea of 3/4 length bell sleeves, just cut FOUR of the bodice pieces. Use two of them for sleeves and skip the elastic on the sleeve edges. It came out perfect the first try!!

I'm very new at this so I don't know if followed correct protocol. I mentioned free tutorials for the peasant top and linked the word free tutorials to your page. I feel like there should be a better way to credit you for the pattern. If you have a moment and would like to advise me, I'll put your button or a better link on the page. Either way, thanks so much for your tutorials!

I just wanted to say a huge "THANK YOU" and to tell you how much I absolutely LOVE your blog. I have already made several of the pieces you have posted. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! You are absolutely amazing!

This tutorial is awesome! I have some questions for you. I have an 8 and a 10 year old. Their sizes are 8 and 10 respectively. My question is...How do you figure out what sizes to cut the fabric? for all pieces. I measured 30" for the chest then cut 2 pieces of 22"w x 23"l. I couldn't figure out how to measure for sleeves either. The shirt I made for her cut into her armpits and it was too tight across the back. The top of the A line was 16", the bottom 22".

My other question is...when you say 14"x14" is that 14" at the top of the A line or the bottom?

My last question is when you stack the peices to cut the armholes and head slope...do you line the sleeve pieces with the top of the bodice pieces or with the slope of the bodice?

Everything else is really clear and I truly appreciate you taking your time of your busy schedule to bring us such awesome tutorials. You have total rockage. Thanks in advance for explaining this to a self taught beginner (I say beginner but I have been doing this for a couple of years, on and off).

Anon, for sizing, try pulling out a well fitting shirt from their closets (from woven material). Turn the shirt inside out and check out the depth of the arm hole. This should give you a good idea of how to deep to cut the armholes of your pb so it doesn't cut into dd's armpits.

This will also give you an idea of the chest and length to make it. The 14" is across the top (before the arm is cut) and the length. For an A-line, just take it out as much as you like at the bottom.

Line up the raw edged sides of the sleeves and bodice to cut the arm. Cut the slopes out separately (or skip the neckline shaping for now, it's not that necessary).

I just thought I'd leave you a note telling you I'd tinkered with your wonderful and amazing pattern and made it into a Snow White dress. Thank you SO much for posting your wonderful tutes! Reading your daily post is a high point in my day!

That's a fantastic work! Thanks for easy steps tutorial. This project reminds me of my craft work when I was in high school. I will definitely try this out. I did some craft works on my blog and think you may want to swap craft ideas. Hop on www.makemania.com and feel free to share yours.

I know this post is crazy old, but I had to comment and say thanks for putting this on here. I was trying to think of a quick, easy peasant top (for part of a Halloween costume for my daughter) that I could make with little material and using elastic thread to shir (I can't stand making casings :) and this one worked great. And now the outfit looks adorable!! Thanks!

Very cute and relatively easy for a beginner like me. I had a little trouble with the sleeves, but figured it out. I added an extra band of fabric in a contrasting color on the bottom and the sleeves. It turned out nicely. I skipped the elastic in the sleeves and left them bell shaped and long. Thanks for the pattern!

I'm a novice sewer & after reading this tutorial and all the comments, I thought I could figure this out. However, now that I've sewed the sleeves and the front & back together, the arm holes seem pretty small. Where did I go wrong? Should the shape of the armholes been deeper? Should I try to rip out the stitching and re cut the armholes? This is for my 4 year old's Christmas jammies, and she is really looking forward to them, so I hate to disappoint her. Help?

I love the tute! I just got a new sewing machine and I have had this bookmarked for ages. I plan to make it for my grandaughter. My DIL made one for her from a very pretty, heavy cotton vintage sheet, and it is adorable! Thanks so much for posting it!

Thanks for the tutorial! I made the sleeves in a coordinating fabric, added the same fabric to the bottom of the A-line dress, and added two pockets with a zig zag stitch. My daughter got a cute dress made from scraps and pieces bought from Hobby Lobby's bin (less than $4 for an adorable dress) and I get compliments every time she wears it! I will definately check out your etsy shop. Thanks again and I also appreciate the advice on making larger sizes b/c I am making one as a gift too!

Just wanted to say thank you again. I took this idea and ran with it. Using the basic shape, I gathered and added fabric bands at the neck and arms. I'll be sharing a free how-to on my blog with some links to your helpful tutorial. Have a lovely day.

Saw this and am pretty excited. I wanna make one for my cousin who is turning 5 this weekend. Do you have any idea as to how much of an increase in the measurements I should use? I am not very good with figuring out how much of an increase for each measurement.

Okay, so I think I have the measurements figured out. It helps when I am not tired while reading the tutorial. My question now, is when you give the measurements for the arm hole it doesn't say wxl like the other measurements do but I was wondering if it was supposed to be a given since you always put w x l instead of lxw. I read you response on the arm hole question to the woman who asked about a 5/6 size and am trying to figure out if 6.5" x3.5" is the w x l. Anyways, sorry for writing such a long q. I figure you're busy but if you could please answer this I'd appreciate it. My cousin's birthday is this weekend and I need to make this pretty quick.

Hi K,Sorry I didn't respond faster (you are right about busy) but I also have an informal policy about letting a question marinate for a couple days to a) save my sanity and b) allow people to figure it out on their own. But, this weekend is pretty quick so we'd better get this done, yes?

The longer of the two measurements will be the length. If you have a look at the illustrations above you'll get an idea of the general shape.

The peasant blouse shape is very versatile and it will look great with all sorts of variations on the measurements. The important part is to not sweat the actual numbers but aim for big, loose and relaxed. I'm sure it will turn out great and your cousin will love it.

If you do happen to end up with something you are less than happy with, your next attempt will go together much quicker :)

Thank you for answering my question...I cut out all the material all of I sudden I panicked and thought,"Vegbee said the longer of the two measurements will be the length, well is it the same with all the other measurements, as well?"

So, there's my other question.

So, be for i cut out the armhole and neck hole I will wait for your answer.

Okay, so I shouldn't of panicked! LOL I looked over the instructions again and saw that it said to increase the arm width by half an inch and my mind was eased to to whether it really was the width or the length because I had thought no way that it could be that wide. Thanks for your patience and putting up with dumb questions when it's in plain sight in the tute.

hi! so cute!! but am i confused on how much fabric i need to make this. am i cutting on the fold for the front of the shirt as well as the back?? sorry for such a stupid question!! i've sat here an hour trying to figure it out! uughh!

Question:in the pic of the bodice and sleeves where you cut out the 5x2 piece, it shows a little curve around the neckline. what are the dimensions of this? In the picture, it doesnt show that you cut that piece out. Does this make sense?My neckline seems to be small and cut straight across instead of having a curved neckline. thanks!

Anon,The drawing shows a curved neckline, which is a more natural shape, but when I took pictures for the tutorial I was using a straight neck. Either is fine for your blouse. If you want to try a curved neck, just approximate the curve you see. The thing about this shape of shirt is that it allows for all sorts of variations of shape and precise curves (or even curves at all) are not necessary. Good luck, I hope you have fun with this :)

I just showed an old crib sheet who was boss using this pattern - and I consider myself pretty novice. I didn't have to buy a thing - I even reused the elastic from the crib sheet...and I made the CUTEST little shirt/dress/nightgown for my daughter from your instructions. I'm your new biggest fan! Thanks so much for the awesome pattern!

Thanks for the tutorial, it's gorgeous! I would like to feature this post on a series I'm running on my blog called Make it Monday. Would it be OK if I used one of your photographs from this page? I will link everything back to you of course.

I am trying to make this dress in a size 8. What should the width be at the bottom of the aline? I'm dont want it to be too full but also afraid of it not looking like it should. Would really like to get it out of one width of fabric...is 22" too skinny??

I have cut my bodice pieces as 15" x 20" for a longer tunic shape (3T). I want this to be A-line, so will my pieces still work at the size I've cut, or should I have cut them wider before shaping them? I was limited on how much fabric I had so I couldn't make them wider. Can they still be A-line?

If you are concerned bout your dress being too narrow, you can add a tall triangle shaped panel to the sides in either the same fabric or another that works well. Sometimes, to get your exact preference and swing to a blouse/dress, modifications on subsequent garments can be made. This pattern is designed to be quick and forgiving with fit, making it great for creating wearable shirts while you refine your techniques and basic shapes.

Hi there! I finally made this!! :)) i wanted to make it as a dress but it turned out a bit too short as a dress, and i added elastic to the bodice. But the finished result seems a bit stiff, and doesnt really look comfy. Do you have any advise on how to choose fabric for a comfy kids clothing? (I did digs ur blog but have not found topics related to this ;)) I used cotton fabric, or maybe something tt i thought cotton. But i heard cotton itself has many types. And Im lost. So... Any tips n tricks how to choose n feel a fabric at the store? Thanks!! :)

I like a lightweight poplin cotton for blouses. Often people use quilting fabric to make these shirts because quilting cottons are readily available these days and have so many wonderful prints. However, the quilting fabric, though comfortable to wear, is usually fairly stiff for peasant blouses.

If you find yourself in a fabric store WITHOUT KIDS (this is so important!), wander about and feel yourself some fabrics. If you don't feel too weird, rub them on your cheek or back of your hand. You can feel outright whether or not something is soft and welcoming or abrasive.

Having a girl who is super sensitive to scratchy, I have simply taken her along with me and had her feel the fabrics. It works best if I ask her to close her eyes because she's often distracted by pretty and can make decisions she's not willing to live with (to my irritation).

My highest recommendation is to find second hand shirts that are soft and lightweight (or flow-y) that aren't too badly worn. New fabrics have starch and chemicals applied to them that have washed out of second hand garments. Sometimes quality, higher thread count sheets show up in thrift stores too that make great peasant blouses/skirts. You can embellish these, since they ususually lack a print, with ribbons or whatnot.

I meant to post a few months ago that my 4-year-old portrayed Mary at our church's Christmas Eve service. I made her dress using this pattern. I cut the sleeves long and wide (no elastic) and cut the dress as an a-line. Thanks!

Justina, the pictures look fine on my end but I have been receiving messages about some of my classic tutorials (the oldest :D) having a lot of viewing problems. I'm working on it - please stay tuned :)

Thank you...thank you for sharing this tutorial. This is great. I'm a novice and I love peasant dress, it's perfect for little girl. No closure, easy to put on and off. I've made several peasant dresses for my girl using available free pattern around the net. But, I really want to draw the pattern my self. And I found you...Is it okay if I draw my own pattern using your tutorial?

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Thanks for stopping by. I am a person, sewist, dollmaker, homeschooling mom, unconscionable reader and some other things that you probably don't need to worry about. Feel free to leave comments and book recommendations for me and to really get my attention, email me at cdbees[at]hotmail.com.

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